Unison: Spectacles and Shades
by Bookish Delight
Summary: Years ago, two unicorn prodigies attended the same school without knowing it. One became changed by friendship at an early age––the other far later in life. At a fashion show gone wrong, the two prodigies at last meet. Being who they are, it's impossible for them to resist comparing notes...
1. Together, From A Distance

"You see, it all comes down to reliability."

"Huh? Relia–_what?_"

"Reliability." A chipper, analytical voice was just audible over the singing of birds, the wind whistling through grass and trees, and the playing of several small ponies. While those ponies enjoyed the spring day, however, a white unicorn filly was deep in thought––and thus, in her element.

"The best part about numbers is that once you put them together and perform the necessary operations, you never have to wonder about whether the answer you get is wrong now, or will be wrong in the future." The lecturing filly scribbled numbers and symbols in a notebook as she spoke, then laid the book out on a wooden yard table for three of her other classmates to see. "Unless, you know, you screwed up the operations to begin with. So, uh, let's not do that."

She chuckled. Nopony else did. It was all right. They _were_ busy deciphering her notes, after all. Once she saw them nod their heads, she asked, "Things make more sense now?"

They nodded some more, this time while looking at her.

"Great! So now, you can build on whatever we've got for the next stretch of the problem. But I'll leave that to you. 'Cause I need to get home and study, too!"

"Wait! So soon? But you're actually being kind of helpful," said a cream–colored unicorn with a pink mane. "Can't you stay with us? We're all going to get together at Moondancer's house to study tonight."

The white unicorn shook her head. "Yeah, sorry. I just study better alone. It's nothing personal. Having other ponies around just really distracts me. Don't worry, though. I have full faith in you being able to ace this sucker!"

"Whatever, Batch." Another unicorn, this one blue, sighed. "Guess there's no convincing you."

"'Fraid not." Batch shrugged, and turned to leave. "Gotta go. Good luck!" She took a step, then stopped, looked back, and gave a happy grin. "Oh, and thanks for using the nickname! I really appreciate it."

The cream–colored unicorn giggled. "You've only been asking the whole class to for weeks. Is it really such a big deal for you?"

Batch looked away for a second. "Y–yeah. I just don't like hearing my normal name too much." She ran a hoof over her blue mane and adjusted her spectacles. "Anyway, I've got to go. Huge test to study for, right?" She waved.

"Right. So long!" The other ponies waved back, and when she was out of earshot:

_"Can you believe her?"  
"I know she's super–smart, but there's a reason I always see her sitting alone at lunch."  
"Let's face it. She's obviously just more interested in grades than friends."_

As Batch trotted down the dirt road towards home, she took one last look back at her school's grounds.

An overhead sign, which read "_Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns_," could be seen, now small in the distance.

–––  
"Unison: Spectacles and Shades"  
A My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Fanfiction  
Part 1: "Together, From A Distance"  
by Bookish Delight, 2012–2013  
All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.  
–––

Batch always took the same path home, passing by the same houses, the same stores, and often the same ponies. She knew them, and they knew her, and honestly, she was comfortable with that. Routine was good. Routine made life easier to plan for––and did she _ever_ have plans.

Today, however, her routine homeward commute was disrupted by a terrible noise assaulting her from a small distance away. After holding her ears long enough to get used to it, she walked towards its source: a small house, still on her path, but––as she would find out later––situated exactly halfway between school and her home.

The closer Batch approached the house on that first day, the more it hurt her ears. She heard nothing but clacking and chaos, yet it did nothing but further pique her curiosity. Once in front of the house, she looked in through its open window.

Inside, she saw another unicorn filly who looked around her age, whose face was scrunched in concentration. The keys of the piano she sat in front of were telekinetically pressed almost at random, as she struggled to get them under her control. Mounted on the piano's stand was a lesson book, wide open. Several more were neatly stacked on the ground beside her as well.

Batch pitied her. Her own parents had tried giving her piano lessons less than a year ago. They never took, and as far as Batch was concerned, that instrument was pure torture. All those keys, making it easy to get lost? No labels of any kind? No predictability to be found unless you were attempting to play the simplest of scales? Not to mention those pedals messing with the sounds even more! It just wasn't for her.

She shook her head and continued her walk home, doing her best to will the noise out of her mind.

–––

She might have succeeded, had the noise not repeated itself every afternoon hence. It mildly annoyed Batch, but not enough for her to deviate from routine and find a new trail. Quite the opposite––she still would check back in every so often.

The third day was the same story as the first, except this time she could actually _feel_ the filly's frustration with each haphazard key press. The eighth day was particularly bad, ending with the filly bashing her head against the keys, repeatedly, while groaning.

The fifteenth day, for some reason, _wasn't_ as bad, and Batch was compelled to find out why. The sheer fact that this girl was _still going_ with this mystified and impressed her.

Looking in this time, she could see the unicorn playing in a more reserved manner. She used slower key presses, and whenever she messed up, she would glance at the page of her lesson book, retrace her steps, then play the last few measures over again.

Batch stood at the window,, watching the filly practice and improve before her eyes. As she witnessed the phenomenon, she couldn't help cheering for the budding musician in her mind.

_Come on. You can do it.  
_

–––

On the thirtieth day, Batch was walking home as usual, when she was frozen solid in her tracks by an unexpected, but _glorious_ melody.

She double–checked all of her senses. It still came from the same piano, within the same teal–colored, shingled house. Looking inside, she could still see the same unicorn girl, close to her age, sky–blue with a white mane and tail, pressing notes through the use of magic from her horn. The familiar smell of freshly–baked cookies––chocolate chip, it was always chocolate chip––that she caught every so often wafted to her nose.

Everything was the same as it ever was. So how was this happening? How were the notes being played so fast? How were they being played this _well_?

The lesson books which the girl had been so frustrated over earlier showed clear signs of having been shoved to the floor in a heap. All those texts, carefully constructed to tell her how to get music _right_ and _correct_, and she wasn't paying heed to a single one.

Yet she still sounded _wonderful._

–––

The song finished, and Batch rushed to the door. She knocked furiously until it was opened–

_"Ow!"_

Batch quickly removed her hoof from head of the unicorn who was now standing in the doorway. "Oh, gosh, oh gosh, oh _gosh,_ I'm so sorry!"

The unicorn rubbed her head. "No, it's okay. Um... can I help you?"

"Hi! Yeah, um, okay. I know you've never seen me before. But I've been watching you a lot."

The girl stepped back, a disturbed look on her face.

Batch slapped her forehead. "Right. That came out wrong. What I meant was, I hear you practicing a lot 'cause your house is on the way to mine going home after school. Not something I could help."

The unicorn relaxed. "_Oh._ Okay." She then froze. "Wait a minute. How _long_ have you been hearing me practice?" Her voice was meek and reserved, and her face apprehensive.

"Um, a month now." Batch chuckled nervously. "It was definitely a learning process."

The unicorn's face fell, and she reached for the door. "I'm sorry I put you through all that, then."

"Wait, _wait!_" Batch held it open. "You sounded _awesome _just now! What you were just playing, I... I was really into it. And I loved watching you learn, especially 'cause I never could. I'm not much of a music person, but from what I'm hearing, you could really go places with your kind of talent!"

The unicorn hesitated. "R–really?"

Batch flashed the biggest grin she was able. "_Really_ really."

"Thanks." The unicorn smiled back. "I've never had an audience before. I'm glad somepony actually likes what I'm doing." She hesitated, looking past Batch for a few seconds, then opened the door all the way. "You, uh, wanna come in?"

"Really?" Batch slowly trotted inside, the carpeting tickling her hooves slightly as she looked around the spacious living room. It was decorated with all sorts of things––plants, vases, family pictures, and even a crystal unicorn in one corner. "I mean, is this okay? Is anypony else around?" She cocked her head to the side. "For that matter, how come I never see you going to or from school?"

"I'm home–schooled. My tutor's left already, though."

"She doesn't help with the piano lessons?"

"I didn't ask for lessons. This is more of a hobby of mine. I just needed something to do outside of studying all the time. And my parents don't ever get home until evening." She looked at Batch. "You're the first pony I've ever seen care about what I'm trying to do here."

Batch's expression sobered. "Gosh, I'm sorry."

The unicorn's smile persisted. "Don't be. I'm glad you're here. I know you think I'm 'awesome,' but I know I still need a lot of practice, and I'm not sure I can do it alone. So instead of passing by my house every day, why not just come inside?"

Batch's face lit up. "Sure, I'd _love_ to––wait." She paused. "Are you asking to be friends?"

The unicorn thought it over. "I guess so. Not used to it?"

Batch put a hoof behind her head with a sheepish chuckle. "I do a lot of that 'studying' that you said you wanted to get away from."

"I know the feeling." The unicorn looked away. "I–I don't have much friendship experience either."

Batch stepped forward, and took hold of her new friend's hoof. "I guess we'll both be learning what it's like together, then."

"Mm–hmm. We should probably start with our names, though." She looked back at Batch. "I'm Melody. Magical Melody. And you?"

Silence followed as Batch took a few seconds to make a very important decision. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Match. Binary Match."

Melody's look became quizzical. "That sounded like it hurt to say."

Batch shrugged. "Let's just say I've always had, uh, mixed feelings about my name."

"Really? _I_ like it."

"Yeah, I know, it's totally not–" Binary did a double–take towards Melody. "Wh–what?"

"I said, 'I like it'. A lot, actually. How'd you end up with it?"

"You really wanna know?"

Magical Melody nodded with more energy than Binary ever would have expected.

"Wow. Okay, then. Well, Pop's a mathematician. He made sure it rubbed off." She snickered and rolled her eyes. "Fortunately, the _math_ I don't hate. I still have my full collection of number blocks and everything."

Melody was positively beaming now. "Makes sense to me. My parents just gave me my name because they said my cries sounded like singing on the day I was born. Before I started practicing the piano, I tried singing. It didn't work out." Her smile disappeared, and she looked towards the ground. "_Your_ name sounds like you're actually _good_ at something."

Binary pushed Melody's chin up. "Whoa, hey, do _not_ sell yourself short. Simple equation: if you hadn't been living up to your name just now, would we be friends?"

Melody took a few seconds to mull it over––then her smile returned. She stepped forward and wrapped Binary in a hug. "Thank you. That's the nicest thing anypony's ever said to me."

Binary hugged back, a warm feeling washing over her. In the moment, she decided she was willing to give this concept of "friendship" exactly one chance.


	2. Making A Splash

_What was I thinking?_

A star–adorned tiara plopped onto Twilight Sparkle's bed.

_It all looked to so good in my head! The actual outfit even looked good! At least to me... but I'm no designer, am I?_

Two oversized, star–plastered sets of earrings and bows followed.

_And the whole time, I pushed her to make it. Constantly correcting her over the most minor of details, forcing her to abandon her design sensibilities, and being ungrateful about a dress that she had offered to make me for free!_

That dress, cluttered with animal and constellation designs, joined her jewelry on the bed with a soft _ploomf_. Twilight looked at the ensemble, only now finally able to see it for the trainwreck it was.

_Whew. Back to some semblance of sanity._ _But the damage is already done. It's my fault. I asked for this, and I got exactly what I wanted... at the expense of a good friend's image. Maybe even her career. I'm the absolute worst._

She walked out of her bedroom and downstairs, head bowed in a forlorn gaze. At the same time, Spike ran up to her. "Twilight! There you are. I wasn't sure if you were coming back out after, well..." He trailed off.

Twilight caught his meaning. "I'm fine, Spike. It's _Rarity_ who's beside herself. And I wish I could help, but I'm not sure I'm the best pony she should be seeing right now, if you get my drift."

Spike nodded. "Yeah. It, uh, was your outfits that brought the house down. Or should I say, the fashion show." He perked up. "But hey! _I_ wasn't one of her dress models! Maybe she'll talk to me. No harm in trying, right?"

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. "You've got me. I can't think of any better ideas at the moment."

Spike's smile doubled in size. "Great! See you later!" Almost instantly, he was out the door. Twilight chuckled to herself. While his crush on Rarity was still all too obvious, she had to admire his dedication in the name of friendship. Or at least she would if she were able to tell which he was acting on at any given moment.

Now alone in her house, she trotted towards her shelves. Perhaps curling up in bed with a nice book would help her forget about–

"Hey. I heard this was this town's library. Am I warm?"

Twilight turned around, and nodded towards a white unicorn mare who had just walked through the door. "Boiling, actually. Welcome to Golden Oaks. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, perfect! Got a few titles." The unicorn materialized, then floated, a sheet of paper to Twilight. "Hopefully that makes it easy."

"Hmmm." Twilight read the books' titles out loud as she levitated them off of the shelves. "'Sounds of Equestrian Cultures', 'The Marezart Effect', 'The Science of Scales'... hey, this is pretty high–level stuff! I mean, music–wise. From what I've heard." She looked at the titles again, noticed the unicorn's cutie mark, and stopped as she came to a realization. "Hang on a second! Weren't you the one playing at the fashion show tonight?"

"Uh–huh," the unicorn said, as Twilight wished to the heavens that she could remember her name. The fetched books, meanwhile, were flipped open as they hovered in the air, the mystery mare "hmmm"ing several times as she scanned them with a speed and precision that impressed even Twilight... then stopped.

"Wait a minute... wait a _minute_!"

The sunglasses resting atop the white unicorn's muzzle began a slow rise as she stepped closer to one of the books, reading a passage multiple times. A pad and pencil appeared beside her, and began furiously scribbling numbers and musical notes across it in a linear fashion... until, finally, her entire face lit up in triumph. "Yeah... _yeah_, this is it! _Eureka!_" With a squeal, the books went flying across the room. "I knew it, I knew it, _I knew it, I knew it!_"

"Whoa, watch it there," said Twilight, catching the books in mid–flight with her own magic. "You'll put an eye out!"

"Huh?" The white mare came to her senses, sheepishly placing a hoof to her head. "Oh, _wow._ Heh heh. Sorry, totally seriously sorry. I'd never normally do that. It's just..." Her gaze became faraway. "...you ever have one of those moments when you solve a prob that's been messin' with you for ages? I just _knew_ I'd get the answer from those!" She gestured to the floating books. "But finding them was the hard part."

"Actually?" Twilight gave off her own embarrassed grin. "I have had those moments. My books go flying too. So I forgive you. As for finding these particular books, there are only a few copies left in Equestria. Most of the rarities here were brought from my personal collection, from back when I lived in Canterlot Castle."

"_Canterlot Cas–_" And up the shades were pushed again, yielding crimson eyes in a curious and emphatic stare. "Waaaait a second. Are you... _Twilight Sparkle_? You're Twilight Sparkle, aren't you?"

Twilight's cheeks reddened. "Y–yeah. Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. I've been a little distracted."

"Nah, I'm sorry I didn't _recognize_ you earlier. But in my defense: sweet Celestia, what were you _doing_ in that outfit?"

Twilight's blush became more intense. "I'm... not sure I want to talk about it just yet. As for you, though, it's so weird. I know your look, your face, your twin–note cutie mark, but I–"

"–never got a name?"

"Just the opposite! Over the years, I've heard too _many _to count!"

"Heh. Good. Was worried for a sec." The white unicorn chuckled. "That's totally on purpose. I've gone by lots of names. Part of the business. Try to think of a new one every year if I can." Her shades went back over her eyes as she flashed Twilight a cool grin and a toss of her wild blue mane. "That way, _nopony_ forgets the look. 'Cause _that_ stays constant."

Twilight's blush persisted. "Right. I guess I can see that."

"Hey, totally marketable, if nothing else." The shades were poofed out of existence. "The last name I picked didn't work out so well, though. Turns out nopony can agree on how to pronounce letters, numbers and hyphens at the same time." She sighed. "Gonna need a change, and soon, but until I can think of one..."

She looked straight at Twilight.

"...how about we just go with 'Vinyl Scratch?'"

–––  
"Unison: Spectacles and Shades"  
A My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Fanfiction  
Part 2: "Making A Splash"  
by Bookish Delight, 2012–2013  
All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.  
–––

Twilight nodded with a smile. "I like it. Makes rational sense, given what you do, right?"

Vinyl nodded. "Beginning to realize that more and more. But yeah. I'm real glad to hear you recognize me. Makes things a lot less awkward. I've heard you go by another name too, though! 'The Princess's Pet?'" She pointed to Twilight and winked.

Twilight groaned as her hoof loudly met her forehead. "Oh, no. How far has that spread?"

"Ummm... Manehatten, Los Pegasus, Fillydelphia... that's just the last three places I know of." Vinyl chuckled. "Yeah, sorry. You're never gettin' rid of it."

_"Awwww!"_ Twilight slumped to the ground. "But it's such an embarrassing name! It makes it sound like she's got me wrapped around her–"

Vinyl leaned in. "Well, _does_ she?"

Twilight _really_ wished her blushing would stop. At least before she fainted.

Vinyl simply laughed. "Hey, don't sweat it. Most ponies mean it in the nicest way." She looked at Twilight inquisitively. "But hang on. You know me, too? I mean, I don't jockey _books_."

Twilight snickered. "Well, I know _of_ you, at least. You've handled parties all over Equestria, and Ponyville's got its very own, uh... what you might call a 'party specialist.' What she doesn't set up, she takes notes on. Also, she _was_ able to pronounce the last name you came up with."

Vinyl recoiled, and blinked. "Wait. Even the '3'?"

Twilight giggled. "It doesn't sound possible until you hear her do it."

"I'll have to meet her later. But right now... oh wow, _the_ Twilight Sparkle," Vinyl said, oblivious to Twilight's ever–growing light–headedness. "I've wanted to meet you for _ages_." She looked around the library. "No wonder this place has everything! Sorry again for almost laying waste to it."

"Huh? N–no, uh, no, i–it's quite all right. It's just... well, I didn't really see that 'eureka' moment coming. From you." She paused, realized what she'd just inferred, and began babbling in embarrassment. "A–ahhh, I–I mean, I mean I _didn't_ mean it like that, I just... _awwww_."

Vinyl flushed. "Hey, it surprises a lotta ponies. Seriously, don't sweat that either."

"Well, no, I mean..." Twilight finally stopped to take a deep breath. "I mean it was a _happy_ surprise. Sure, it goes against your advertised image." Twilight's voice softened. "But I _liked_ it."

"You _li_–..." Vinyl's body as a whole visibly relaxed, as did her eyes, and the smile on her face grew larger as she exhaled happily. "Thanks, Twilight. That's great to hear. Especially coming from you."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Vinyl began a slow pace around the library. "Keep this under your mane, but my alma mater? School for Gifted Unicorns, same as you. While you were rollin' though Celestia's magic program, though, I was _rockin'_ the math department. Bigger surprise? I was having the _time of my life_. Remind me to show you my yearbooks sometime." Her smile went wide. "And by 'sometime,' I mean 'never.'" Reaching a corner of the treehouse, she spied several unused records in a corner, and sauntered over to them. "Hey, I didn't know you had an audio wing."

"Technically? I was toying with the idea of a music history section. I haven't cleared the shelf space for it yet, though, so the records don't see much use."

Vinyl turned her head back to Twilight, and fed her a wink. "Mind if I change that?"

Twilight walked over. "Huh? O–oh, not at all! Be my guest."

"Sweet." Vinyl's horn took on a light–blue magic sheen, causing several albums to levitate from the pile and spin in single file around both unicorns' heads. Twilight managed to catch a couple of titles as they flew past––_Coltown Blues: A Collection_ and _Equine Nature,_ to be precise––before deciding to stop for fear of dizziness.

The speed of the flying records didn't appear to be a problem for Vinyl, however. Her eyes darted back and forth as she scanned and mumbled the name of every single record to herself, her voice taking on an analytic tone until all the albums stopped abruptly and were neatly re–piled.

"Aha!" she said, pulling out _The Three Seasons_ and hooflessly releasing the record from its sleeve. "Always up for revisiting old friends."

The record glowed with the hue of Vinyl's magic. It spun in midair, and it wasn't long before Vinyl herself took on a trance–like state of expression––her eyes closed, and her head slowly nodding up and down. "_Mmmmmm_... uh–huh. Yeah. Whoa, still as divine as I remember. We may have to make a deal here, Twi."

A confused Twilight simply stared, until it finally hit her. "Wait... you can _hear_ it? Without a player?"

"It's not that hard. You just tune yourself to the grooves in the record. Be the needle." She opened her eyes and beckoned with one hoof. "Here, I'll show ya."

Twilight trotted over, and, once she was in front of Vinyl, gasped as the white unicorn touched a single hoof to her cheek. At the touch, Twilight's heart jumped near to her throat, and stayed there for a full second.

"Nothin' to be afraid of, Twilight," Vinyl said in a soft voice. "And hey, this might come in handy someday. Now, I want you to try to mix your magic with mine. Try to feel the same vibrations I do. If we manage to get in sync..."

She smiled, meeting Twilight's eyes, causing the latter to freeze in wonderment.

"...well, you'll know it when it happens."

"O–okay." Twilight concentrated, her horn glowing violet and touching the record. Her light bounced and clashed against Vinyl's to start, but gradually blended. Behind her ears, she heard several crackles, which slowly morphed into a cacophony of random tones, and then into the ordered harmony of an orchestra.

Twilight gasped. "Vinyl, I hear it! There's so many instruments! I hear the–"

"_–great!_" said Vinyl breathlessly, shutting her eyes tighter than before. "Don't lose it, though! Best's yet to come!"

"Really? Okay! Gosh, I... _wow_." Twilight closed her eyes, concentrating harder...

–––

...and when she reopened them, she was no longer in the library.

She looked around, and found herself on the balcony of a large concert hall. The orchestra she'd heard seconds earlier could now be seen in front of her, several feet away, playing their hearts out.

"Well," said a voice beside her, "You _do_ catch on fast. Knew you could do it, though. Not a doubt in my mind."

"Vinyl?" Looking around the hall again, Twilight did a double–take when she saw Vinyl wearing her mane in a bun. She felt at her own mane, and was both relieved and disappointed that hers hadn't changed. "Where are–"

"Hang on." A white hoof placed itself gently to Twilight's lips. "I love this part." The music from the orchestra swelled as it began a new movement, during which Vinyl could be seen becoming increasingly pumped. "Yeah... yeah, _yeah!_ You go, girl! _Rock _those strings!"

Twilight rolled her eyes and snickered. "And you were telling _me_ to be quiet?"

"Eheheheheheh." Vinyl fidgeted. "Hey, I enjoy this stuff in my own way. So sue me. Not that anypony would. My mind, my rules."

Twilight scanned the orchestra. "Who are you cheering on, anyway?"

"Oh, just somepony I sometimes talk to." She gestured, then waved, down to a gray earth pony mare on the cello who noticed, and nodded back. "Know her from back up north."

Twilight followed Vinyl's gaze, then gasped in recognition. "I've seen her at Canterlot's social events!"

"Yeah, that's where she usually shows up." Vinyl blushed. "If you ever meet her––I mean, the _real_ her––in Canterlot, don't tell her about this, okay? She thinks I hate the classics." Her grin reached from ear to ear. "Total opposite. I just love messing with her."

Twilight giggled. "My lips are sealed."

"Awesome." She sidled up to Twilight, warm coats brushing against each other. "So, how're you enjoying your first magically–induced concert?"

"It's..." Twilight looked around once more in awe. The audience in attendance was massive, numbering in the hundreds. She wondered if they were all based on real ponies as well. "...it's still a bit of a shock. But in a good way. I didn't know this was possible."

Vinyl shrugged. "I didn't know beating centuries–long–sealed supervillains was possible. But hey. We've all got stuff we can do, right?

The final notes of the orchestra sounded, then made way for applause once the symphony concluded. The two ponies applauded with the rest, and once that applause died down, the scene itself underwent a slow, gradual dissolution, with audience members fading left and right.

"Hey," Vinyl said, diverting Twilight's attention away from the phenomenon. "Just as a note, I don't usually get to share this balcony with anypony. I... I'm glad you could be the first."

A flattered happiness swelled within Twilight as she examined Vinyl's face, and saw eyes wide and content––along with a smile which had undergone a marked switch from cool and humorous to heartfelt and genuine.

She returned the expressions.

"The honor is mine."

–––

The world of the concert swirled away, and soon, the two had officially returned to the library.

"And that's all there is to it," said Vinyl. "On a basic level, anyway. Saves a ton on equipment, let me tell ya'––huh?"

Twilight rushed close, unable to contain her giddiness. Consequently, Vinyl had no time to prepare for her right hoof being taken in both of the violet uinicorn's.

"That was absolutely _amazing_! I didn't know unicorn magic could be used for... well, _that_! Is this what happens when you combine music and magic? And, and..." She looked back at the books Vinyl had originally requested, still open on the floor. "...and mathematics, too? Please! I have to know!"

"Pretty much?" Vinyl shrugged. "The way school was going, I figured I was on the fast track to being an accountant or something." She nodded towards her cutie mark. "Funny how things change. Here's the weird thing about destinies, though: sometimes you still need other skills to make 'em shine. Hearin' me?"

Twilight smiled, letting go of her new friend's hoof. "Loud and clear, Miss Scratch."

"Good. Heh." Vinyl blushed and chuckled, then hesitated before adding, "Listen, uh, if... if you're really that interested in this stuff, well, I'm in town for another week or so! I don't mind giving lessons." Her front hooves started a slow fidgeting shuffle as her head angled low and to the side. "I–I mean, that is, only if you wanna."

Twilight's excitement came across almost too loudly. "_Would_ I? This is a refreshing new perspective on magic studies! I'd be crazy to pass up the chance!"

Vinyl perked back up. "All right, then––it's a date!" She headed towards the door. "Let's both get a good couple of nights' sleep and meet up... I don't know. Noonish or so on Tuesday? I wanna study these books so I can totally wow you," she said, levitating them to her side.

Twilight giggled. "Sounds good to me. I can't wait!" she said with a goodbye wave, which Vinyl returned before leaving. As they parted, Spike walked back in. "How's Rarity?" she asked.

Spike shrugged and shook his head. "Wish I knew. She let me in, and I think she tried to talk, but it all came out in blubbering nonsense. I think she realized that too, 'cause before too long she just gave up and locked herself in her room." He paused before looking up to his comrade. "I dunno if she's coming back from this one, Twilight."

Twilight "hmm"ed in thought before finally responding with, "Let's give her some space. This isn't the first time she's gone dramatic. It'll take some time, but I'm sure she'll be up for talking things out soon."

"I hope you're right. I mean, I _can_ work around the always–on tear ducts, but it's not the preferred option, you know?" He looked back at the exiting unicorn. "Who was that?"

The warm feeling in Twilight's chest momentarily resurfaced as she flashed back to her impromptu concert. "Somepony I would never have expected. In more ways than one."


	3. Five Weeks

_Week 1  
Tuesday_

It was still a heavenly sight, even now.

Keys were pressed at lightning speed across Magical Melody's piano, assembling a collection of tones with a pronounced classical air. In time, Binary Match recognized it as as a casual rendition of _Parasprite Waltz_.

Melody hadn't noticed Binary looking through her window yet, and so continued to play. It was like before they'd met, with one clear difference––instead of wrinkled frustration, Melody's face now displayed a peaceful smile.

Only when the song was finished did Binary knock on the front door. Almost immediately she heard the light scrape of a piano stool and the equally light tapping of hooves––_galloping _hooves, since when did Melody have that much energy?––approaching the door, which opened in mere seconds.

And, then, there was Melody, in front of her, staring at her––and still wearing that smile.

Binary waved. "Hi there."

Melody's smile grew even bigger. "Hi, Binary! Come on in."

Binary did so, pulling out a large booklet from her saddlebag and placing it on a nearby table. "Here's some more sheet music for you."

Melody gasped. "Even more?" She levitated the booklet, opened it, and sifted through its pages until she happened upon a piece dense with notes.

Binary nodded. "Hey, usually this stuff just sits around on shelves. You can borrow it for as long as you want."

"Thank you." Keeping the booklet spread open to her chosen song, Melody set it up on the piano and began to play. As with all the songs she learned, things went slow at first, but in under fifteen minutes, strains of jazz–tinted notes burst forth from the piano, in a manner that could only be described as concert–worthy.

"You know," said Melody, "you've been giving me these nonstop for days. How do you keep coming across–" She suddenly stopped playing and turned to Binary, a concerned look on her face. "–you're not _buying_ all of these for me, are you?"

"I _wish_ I were that rich." Binary shook her head. "My mom's a total music buff. She's got tons of this stuff. Sheet music, records... she was seriously happy when I started taking piano lessons." She chuckled sheepishly. "Not so much once I stopped. But then I told her I made friends with you, and now she's happy again." Binary sighed. "Parents, I guess."

"Yes." Melody slowly nodded. "They can sometimes worry, I've noticed."

"No kidding! Like I need _more_ help worrying over stuff? I'm already wondering where my cutie mark is." She scoffed. "I _know_ what I want to do in life, and yet I still don't get the stupid butt–picture." She looked behind herself. "Hurry up!" she snapped at her haunches.

Melody giggled. "That never works. I've tried it and I still don't have my mark either. But you already know what you want to do? That's a step up from most ponies."

"Yep." Binary's confident grin was back. "I'm not in Celestia's school for nothing! Still totally into the math thing. I figure I'll rise up the school ranks, and get the Princess herself to notice me. Once I do that, I've got a whole _bunch _of theories about how math and magic can be tied together!"

Melody blinked. "You want to turn magic into a bunch of math problems?"

Binary put a hoof behind her head. "Heh heh. You're not the first pony to say that. But not quite. See, we're all taught that we use our magic mainly by feeling, and that's the end of it. So way too many unicorns think it's all just about raw magic power, y'know? But I think there's more to it."

Binary sauntered towards the nearby window and gestured outward.

"Math is _everywhere_ in nature––my pop taught me that. And that's _got_ to include magic. If we can better understand our magic and how it works, if we can find the math in it, then break it down into different pieces to put back together however we want... who knows what we can do after that?"

Melody gave an understanding nod. "I think that's very noble. How close do you think you are to finding your answer?"

Binary shrugged and walked back to her friend. "Not very. I actually just told you everything I said at my interview. Guess that's why they plunked me in turbo–algebra. Enough about school when I'm not in it, though. Let's talk music, huh?"

Melody smiled. "Always my favorite subject."

–––

_Week 1  
Thursday_

"Hey, girls! Wait up!"

With another school day over, Binary ran towards the same group of ponies she'd declined the study offer from a while back. Once she caught up to them she saw that they were joined this time by a beige–colored filly, with a wild red hairdo that both curled and stuck out in all directions. She stood at the head of the others, a definitive air of leadership about her. As they were all in the same class, Binary recognized her instantly.

"Hi, Moondancer!" Binary said in a chipper voice. "Sorry I couldn't make your study session before."

"What, the one from a month ago?" Moondancer shrugged. "Well, we all passed. Maybe we might not always need the great superbrain Batch to bail us out after all."

Binary let the remark pass. _Deserved that one_, she told herself. "Oh yeah, about that. You can..." Binary made a decision then and there. "...you can call me Binary. It's okay."

That got the other fillies to stop and stare.

"Huh?" said Praline, the cream–colored unicorn. "But you said you didn't like being called that."

"Oh, right. Um... well, forget all that stuff I said. I've been having a newfound appreciation for my name as of late. Not to mention the concept of being around other ponies. Which brings me to a question. Is it all right if I... well, uh... hang out with you guys?"

The other fillies hesitated, shifting back and forth on their hooves. Moondancer broke the silence. "Well, we do have _this_ month's test coming up."

Binary shrugged. "That's fine, I guess, I'll totally help out. But I also mean, just, like... you know. Normally. I just want to hang out _with_ you guys. Go with you when you do stuff. Is that okay?"

The girls blinked and stared again.

"We'll, uh, think about it?" Berry Blue piped up, avoiding the stare she got from Moondancer a second later.

"I understand. I've given you a hard time before. Talk to you later, then?"

Moondancer sized Binary up, then simply responded with a "Maybe," before the whole group turned to leave.

"Works for me." Binary waved a hoof. "Take care!"

The other ponies trotted off, and when they were out of earshot...

_"Yes!"_ Binary hissed, pumping a forehoof in jubilance.

–––  
"Unison: Spectacles and Shades"  
A My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Fanfiction  
Part 3: "Five Weeks"  
by Bookish Delight, 2012–2013  
All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.  
–––

_Week 2  
Monday_

"So how's it going with your classmates?" asked Melody.

Binary huffed and slumped on the piano stool next to her friend. Her head hit the keys, making an undesirable tone upon impact. "Ugh. _Terrible."_

Melody let out a quick whistle. "Wow. That bad?"

"More like that _weird_." Binary raised her head and threw up her forelegs. "They like weird things! Like shopping, and parties, and talking about other ponies a whole bunch! So when I bring up the fact that a dress they're looking at in a shop window costs so much because of all the pony–hours it took to create it, they look at me like I'm a griffon or something."

Melody shivered in reply.

"Yeah," Binary said. "Like that." She sighed. "But at least I'm _with _some ponies in school now. I used to hear them talk about me behind my back. A lot of them had problems with me being alone all of the time. Never really got what the deal was with all that. Not everyone's a pony–magnet."

Melody nodded. "Sometimes I see other ponies passing by my house besides you. And they're surrounded by more ponies, all talking at the same time. I look at them and wonder how any of them ever get a word in edgewise." She turned to meet Binary's eyes. "I'd rather wait to find the right friend. But that's just me."

Binary's grin became extra–wide. "I like how you think, Melody."

"Oh, my." Melody giggled. "A mental compliment from the great genius herself?"

Binary laughed. "Hey, I don't give those out to just anypony. Still, even though the two of us get along great, maybe we both could reach out more. Like..." Binary thought for a few seconds, then clapped her hooves together. "Ooh! We could have a... what's it called? A 'slumber party,' or something!"

"What's that?"

"Well, it's where we all get together at somepony's house, goof off, have fun, and then sleep when it's late enough. At least that's what Moondancer tells me."

Melody visibly bristled. "Y–you mean, somepony _else's _house?"

Binary noticed. "Well, yeah. Like, you and the other girls could come over to my place."

"Ummmm... well, I'll think on it. I don't usually leave the house."

"All the more reason you should every once in a while, right?"

"I... " Melody shifted on the stool, still looking uneasy. "I'm not very much of an outgoing pony."

Binary shrugged. "That makes two of us?"

"No, I mean... it's a long story. I promise one day I'll tell it. But being 'outgoing' is a bit more of an undertaking for me than most ponies."

A weak laugh followed Melody's words, which did not fool Binary one bit. Looking onto her friend's eyes, Binary saw something far different. Anger? No... frustration? Perhaps a little...

...wait, _there_ it was. _Sadness._ In spades.

The white unicorn nodded, deciding to back off a bit. "Well, it's okay. We can just have ponies come over here to meet you. Worked for me, right?"

Melody gave a visible sigh of relief. "Yes, that it did. Binary?"

"What is it?"

"Thanks. For understanding."

"No problem. Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

Binary took Melody's hooves into hers. "I took a huge chance when I decided to knock on your door a month ago. So I want you to take a chance for me, to make things even. I don't care when, but you've got to, just once. All right?"

Melody nodded, her smile genuine once more. "One day. I promise."

–––

_Week 2  
Wednesday_

"...and if I divide by four right here, that gives me... 42." Binary stared at her paper, then slumped her head onto the surface in front of her. "Ugh. Forty–two? What kind of answer is that? Doesn't tell me _anything_."

She raised her head from her bedroom dresser and adjusted her glasses using the mirror in front of herself, just in time to see a floating brush sneak up from behind.

"Wha–?"

By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. The brush had already started soft strokes through her mane, and all the fidgeting in the world she tried still left her helpless to stop it.

"Aw, _Mom_," she said to the magenta unicorn mare behind her. Said mare's blue eyes twinkled with mirth as she slowly molded her daughter's mane into waves similar to her own. "I keep asking you to at least warn me first!"

"Now, now," Free Style said with a chuckle. "You said you've been meeting more ponies, right? Trust me––being presentable is _always_ preferable."

Binary mock–rolled her eyes. "Of _course_ you'd say that. It keeps you in business. So how was work today?"

"Quite interesting, actually. A married unicorn couple came in with their daughter today."

"Wait, I thought you said interesting. Doesn't that happen all the time?"

"Well, yes." Free Style whisked aside part of her own pink mane with one hoof. "Except that their little one seemed fascinated with my shop and kept running around the place, trying on all the clothes and touching all of my devices and supplies."

"So you stopped her, right? You keep telling me that stuff can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

"I wanted to, but first off I'm nowhere near as fast as you fillies these days." Free Style smiled and stared into space. "But more than that... it was the strangest thing. She knew exactly which clothes went with what, and how all the equipment worked. Eventually I simply let her play to her heart's content because I was imagining her as an apprentice the entire time." She sighed. "One isn't treated to a sight like that every day. I actually hope she comes back. Oh, well."

"Wow." Binary stayed quiet for a few moments. "Actually, Mom, about that. Seeing ponies again, I mean. Is it okay if I have a friend over?"

Free Style's face lit up. "You mean Melody? Absolutely. I'm surprised you thought you needed my permission."

"So am I. I mean, since you _like_ her so much and all."

The brush stopped. "I detected a clear tonal shift there, young lady."

"Sorry, sorry! It's just that..." Binary lowered her gaze and exhaled. "Melody's all musical, and I still remember how sad you looked when I told you I didn't want to try playing music any more. But I _tried_, I really did, I––_whoa!_" Before she could react, Binary found herself being levitated into her mother's embrace. "M–Mom?"

A record floated its way onto the player in Binary's room. Seconds after the needle touched vinyl, a soothing lullaby filled the air.

Free Style shook her head. "Is that what you've been thinking? Honey, I was never sad that you gave up playing music. I was sad that you _gave up_ at something. And even then, it didn't last. Everypony goes through several experiences before one changes their life enough to let them know what their special talent is. My and your father's job is to support and raise you in every way we can, until you find your cutie mark, and beyond. We love you, and we will never love another filly more than you, because you're _ours_. Understand?"

"I..." Binary looked at her mother's cutie mark––a single, glittering hairbrush––and cuddled into her forelegs, soaking in the warmth of both her and the moment. "I love you guys too, Mom."

"My little girl." Free Style gave Binary a kiss on the forehead and extra squeeze before placing her back in her chair. "Anyway, finish your homework and we can have ice cream."

"Oh, I already finished it. I was just looking at some problems for fun. I'll be down in a little while, okay?"

Free Style chuckled and shook her head. "I swear, it's like having _two_ of your father. Sure thing. Just don't study yourself unconscious, all right?"

Binary giggled. "I won't."

Once her mother left the room, Binary turned back to her notebook, and opened it further, revealing a booklet of sheet music.

Bingo. _Endless Concerto_, it said. It wasn't actually endless, just composed to be seamlessly looped ad infinitum. Years ago, however, one hapless orchestra had had it slipped into its performance list and began playing it, oblivious to its true nature. If not for Princess Celestia's interference, they'd probably still be playing it today.

Binary had stopped at the record store earlier that day to find a more recent concert recording––abridged, of course. Now where had she put it... aha! She took it out of her bag, walked over to her record player and put it on, and as the notes flooded the room, she looked at the sheets while she listened, breaking the music down in her mind.

_Odd. If you really listen to the way this is set up, there's repetition in its layers. Just like on sheet music. And that would mean..._

She concentrated a little more.

_C'mon, Bines. Listen beyond the catchy melody. One, two, three, four. One–two–three–four, onetwothreefour–_

She sat upright, frozen rigid in her seat.

_Oh my gosh, Mom was right. I have been going about this all wrong._

She quickly leafed to a blank page, made a long grid in pencil and started scribbling notes and numbers within it as quickly as her ears would allow.

_Princess, we are going to have so much to talk about if we ever meet. Count on it._

–––

_Week 2  
Friday_

"Hi, Binary," said Melody, greeting the unicorn who she noticed was whistling a tune as she walked in. "What are you so happy about?"

"Well, today we're going to conduct an experiment." Binary plopped down on the floor near the piano. "And I _love_ experiments."

Melody shook her head. "Oh, no. I was afraid this would eventually happen. Sorry, but frogs gross me out, and–"

"Oh, ha ha." Binary scoffed. "No, no. We're going to try something that just came to me last night." She opened her saddlebag, taking out a few albums.

Melody's eyebrows went up. "Records?"

"Yep! Got a player?" Binary paused. "Yeah, probably should have thought about asking you that first. Is it in your room, maybe?"

"_No!" _said Melody a little too loudly. "Sorry. I–I mean, it's right over there." She pointed to a far wall.

"Great!" Binary walked over to it. "Today we're going to see if you can play by ear."

"Wait. So no sheet music?"

"No sheet music. Look, the first time I saw you playing with any sort of skill, all your lesson books were thrown on the floor."

"But that was because... well, I was just annoyed with the books by that point. But also, by then, well I'd... I'd memorized almost all of the measures." Melody's face went slightly red.

Binary gaped. _"All of them?"_

Melody blushed deeper.

"Yeesh. Still. You were just _going._ Unless you've got a photographic memory, you were just sort of putting together what you remembered, weren't you?"

Melody thought this over. "Maybe."

"Well, see if you can find those measures in these songs! I guarantee you you will. Music's got its own building blocks, just like everything else."

Melody nodded. "Definitely learned that while, um, stumbling through notes for a month."

"Hey, learning happens to all of us." Binary played one of the records––the same one that had given her epiphany last night. The two listened silently for about half a minute before Melody began playing. The notes that emerged from the piano didn't quite match the song, Binary noted. This far into her impromptu musical education, she could tell guesswork when she heard it.

The song ended, leaving Melody nodding analytically. Binary couldn't help but smile. She'd had that look on her own face countless times.

"Play that again?" Melody asked.

"Again?"

"Yes." Her face was still determined. "I... I know what to expect a little more now."

"You got it!" Binary reset the needle on the player to the beginning of the song––and this time, her now much more confident friend played along with a piano rendition of the main melody.

The third time through, some of the song's background notes were played via piano as well, and the smiles returned to both their faces.

_That's the spirit,_ thought Binary as she looked on and listened. _And ponies call _me_ the prodigy._

–––

_Week 3  
Wednesday_

The final piano–reproduced notes of a rock record were quickly pressed, just before Melody hit the final chord and let out a tremendous exhale.

"Whew!" Binary applauded. That looked like a workout!"

"Thank you. And it used to be," said Melody, catching her breath. "But you were right. All music is composed of building blocks. Once I learned where each was, I learned to follow them to their conclusion. Then I can play half by guessing." She got off of the stool and sat on the ground next to her friend. "It's so strange. I set out to learn music, but with all of this breaking down and putting together and sometimes even counting my way through pieces of songs... I feel like I'm branching out into your field a bit!" Melody giggled.

Binary nodded. "I know the feeling. I listen to all of these before I bring them to you. I think I've learned more about music this past month than I have in my entire life."

"Really?" Melody gasped. "Oh dear. I–I hope I'm not putting you out or anything."

"What? No, no, it's awes–" Binary stopped herself. "–uh, highly enjoyable. Doesn't quite have the rush of solving a high–level algebra equation, but still fun in lots of ways I didn't expect. Plus now my mom's ecstatic. Heh heh."

"Well, as long as you're happy too." Melody paused. "So you listen to everything you bring me first? Is that why the pieces I've been playing have been getting increasingly..." She looked at the album cover, which displayed the title _Iron Mareden: Instrumentals_ in hard lettering. "...complicated?"

"Heh heh. Guilty as charged. But whatever I give you, you still just burn through it. And I've seen where that road goes. You get bored. Then you get frustrated. I..." Binary rubbed her hooves together, an uneasy frown on her face. "...I don't want you to hate your hobby, Mel. This is the happiest I've ever seen you since you started all this."

"Don't worry. I won't. I think I just need to find a new place to take my skills." Her gaze went faraway. "Maybe it's time I finally... "

"Finally what?" asked Binary.

"Huh? Oh, um, nothing," said Melody, with a spaced–out look on her face. "Forget I said anything. Do you have another record for me?"

–––

But Binary _couldn't _forget.

It was a look that she couldn't get out of her mind, even after getting back home to her studies. Binary _knew _that look. The look of someone who wished that so many rules weren't always in place regarding the things they loved. The look of someone who wanted to reclaim the rush of discovery, after learning so much, all at once.

To see Melody with it twisted Binary's heart in several ways she disliked. The last thing she wanted was for Melody to end up completely like her, caught up in her own activities, shut off from everypony...

She mumbled to herself as she pored over a worksheet filled with exercises on the concept of the square roots of negative numbers.

_Math's so rigid, but always right. _

She'd taught herself to accept that some time ago, but it'd taken quite a bit to do so. In time, she'd had to make things interesting for herself too.

_Music has building blocks in math. But music can change. It tries new things all the time. _

She looked at her workbook, then her sheet music, then the grids she'd scribbled out.

_If you rearrange the numbers in a math problem, but keep the operations the same, there's a good chance the problem doesn't change at all. But if you rearrange the notes of a song, the piece sounds totally different!_

She clutched her head.

_Argh! How can something so reliable be at the root of something so unreliable?_

Her horn glowed as she groaned in frustration, and the pages of her workbook flipped, at high speed, from beginning to end in a matter of seconds. She watched the numbers and notes fly by, flashing, melding...

_...wait._

She turned back to the beginning, and flipped through again. Just like last week, she sat up and gaped at what she saw.

_I have got to stop being wrong all the time._

–––

_Week 3  
Thursday_

The next afternoon saw Binary tearing over to Melody's straight from school. Several loud raps on her door led to Melody slowly opening it, and backing away as she saw Binary's near–manic look. "B–Binary? What's wrong?"

"Mel! _Mel!_" Binary bounded into the house. "I've got it!"

Melody recoiled. "Got what? Is it contagious? Are you all right?"

"Very funny. No, I mean, think I've got it! The answer to your problems! It might be a little crazy, but hear me out."

Melody peered at Binary's expression. It was anxious and hopeful––the same expression she'd had herself over the last couple of weeks. What she wouldn't give to have it back. "All right, let's hear it."

"Well, you just play these keys with magic, right? How about you play two songs at once? Maybe even make something new of it?" Binary dug into her saddlebag, pulling out several papers. "Here, I brought a couple of sheets. Easy stuff on their own, definitely, but as i read the notes–"

Melody blinked. "You can read measures?"

"I've always been able to _read_ music. "I'm just not any good at _playing_ it." She sighed. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay! Let's see what you've got here." Melody pored over the sheets and giggled. "You're right. These definitely are easy enough. Let's try them." She placed the music on the piano's counter, and began playing the music on the left using the left half of the piano. Baritone notes filled the room in an otherwise happy, uplifting tune. Melody smiled. "I remember this song from starting out."

Binary nodded. "Me too. I think they give this one to everypony who tries piano lessons. All right, now the other one."

"Got it." With the right side of the piano a fast, upbeat melody was played with high, light notes, and the similarities between the two songs quickly became apparent.

"I don't know, Binary," said Melody. "I think I sort of see what you're going for, but right now I'm seriously just playing two different songs at once. Also, it's taking a lot out of me."

Binary's eyes were wild now. "That's because you're still thinking of it like it's two different songs! Solving math problems involves putting two numbers together, but then joining 'em with the right operation, and bam! Usually the answer's pretty awesome." Binary placed her hooves on her friend's shoulders. "You just have to find that right operation, Melody. I know you can. You're the best I know at this stuff."

Melody fought off a blush. "I'm the _only_ one you know at this stuff. And this is just so..."

Two notes from both sides of the piano hit a perfect harmonic chord. Melody froze for a split second before recovering and continuing to play.

"...silly. This is so silly." She kept playing, and another chord fell into place. The moment Binary knew to pay attention, however, was when she saw Melody purposely change a couple of notes, here and there, to fit better. Just a couple, but... enough to count.

Binary looked at Melody's face, and saw another expression she was used to carrying herself. Discovery. Creativity. The will to explore and experiment.

It _wasn't_ all black and white. Definitely not to the same scale numbers were. For a scant few seconds, Binary wondered if she'd gone into the wrong field of study after all.

Finally, Melody flipped to the last pages, ending her singular duet, with perfect harmonic trills. Silence reigned over the room as she sat back, barely able to reflect over what had just happened. "This... this is... oh my gosh. Binary, you're a genius."

"I know." Binary blinked. "W–wait, you mean as far as music goes? Are you kidding me? I told you can't even play the stuff–"

"_You're seriously a genius!_" Melody jumped off of her piano stool, cutting Binary off with a huge hug. "Don't you see? So much of music can usually only be played one way. The way the composer intended. At least that's what I thought. Try to follow the beats, the notes, the measures. Try to keep up, try again if you can't. But this..." She gestured towards the two sheets. "Gosh, I had no idea how well some music just goes together. And it's just like you were saying: when you put them together, it's like a whole other song in itself. A whole other song to explore."

She let go of Binary, but still looked back at her, her face full of hope and wonderment. "I–I've always wanted to compose, Binary. I think you just provided my first step into that world. Thank you. Thank you so much, I..." She sniffled.

Binary wiped away at Melody's eyes before any tears could leave them. "Whoa, hey, it's all right. If it makes you feel any better, I... didn't think it'd work this well either. It was like you were saying––it was supposed to be for silly fun. Messing with combinations is how I got myself through math feeling too restrictive sometimes."

"Well, now you know it works for other things. I'm living proof." The two sat on the piano stool together. "You wanna see how I do it?"

Binary's smile was as big as the sun. "The Princess herself couldn't stop me."

Melody shivered.

"Something wrong?" Binary asked.

Melody shook her head. "No, I just... interesting choice of words, that's all. Come on, follow my lead, okay?"

–––

_Week 4  
Tuesday_

The second Melody opened her door, Binary bowled her over running inside. "Melody! Guess what?"

On the floor, Melody groaned and rubbed her head. "You joined the track team?"

"I don't think we have one of those... yikes! Sorry, girl!" Binary extended a hoof to help Melody up. "The school's having a talent show! I looked over the entry lists and you know what they _don't _have a whole bunch of?_ Musicians! _So I signed us both up."

Melody blinked. "You did what?"

"I know, I know. It means you might have to leave the house. But think about it. It means you get to play in front of so many more ponies!"

"An audience?" Melody's eyes lit up momentarily, before her face was overwritten with fear. "What if they don't like me?"

"Not an issue." Binary rolled her eyes. "Sometimes it seems like school doesn't like anypony, but don't worry. You bring your skills, they'll give you your due, and if it's one thing you've got, it's skills. I believe in you, Mel."

Melody relaxed. "Thanks, Binary. I..." Binary outstretched her forelegs and Melody allowed herself to be wrapped in them. "...just thanks."

"It's what I'm here for. But hey. Just in case you don't believe me, I'll prove it! Be here tomorrow. Play like you did the day you met me. Got it?"

Melody nodded. "I'll do my best."

–––

_Week 4  
Wednesday_

Exactly one day later, Moondancer's crowd joined Binary inside Melody's house.

_"She's amazing."  
"She's awesome."  
"I totally quit my piano lessons. So this is what it sounds like?"  
"I've always hated saying this, Binary, but you're right."  
"Ha! See? What'd I tell you?"_

The song finished, and the fillies rushed up to Melody, drowning her in chatter until Moondancer swiped her hoof across the air.

"See, Melody?" said Binary. "I told you they'd say the same things I did!"

Moondancer gave several boisterous nods. "You _are_ going to be at the talent show, right, Melody? I mean, you're a shoo–in. You've got actual talent. I've checked out most of the other entrants, and let's face it. Our school's full of... well, nerds. _Lame_ nerds. Um, present company excluded, of course."

"But I don't even go to your school," Melody said.

"Not a problem! I can get you in if you're with me. And being awesome at the talent show is a perfect way for both of us to break the ice! You'll make tons more friends!" Binary grasped Melody's forehooves. "Come on, girl. What do you say?"

"I... um..." Melody looked around at the smiling fillies. "Oh, very well."

A short, whoop–laden celebration followed.

"It's a week and a half from now," said Moondancer, giving Melody a small pamphlet. "Binary should be able to handle the details. All you've got to do is play like that. Got it?"

"Y–yes," Melody said, waving the other ponies out. "Thank you." Once she was alone with Binary, however, her worried look returned.

"Yes!" an oblivious Binary squealed. "You are the best friend _ever_! Well, you already were, but this clinches it! Show night is going to be an _awesome night_! Totally filled with star power, too! I've heard Princess Celestia and her number–one student Twilight Sparkle will both be there to judge, and–" She finally noticed Melody's pained stare. "Huh? What's wrong?"

Melody trembled. "A–all these ponies. You talking about me leaving this place, going to school... it's just all too much at once. I know what I just agreed to, but I'm not sure I can, Binary, I–"

"If this is about being afraid to perform in front of others," said Binary, "I can help you with that. I give presentations all the time in class. You just have to–"

Melody shook her head. "It's not that! I just... I–I'm sorry." She gestured towards the door. "Please. I have to be alone."

"Huh? Why?"

Melody herded Binary towards and out the front door as quickly as she was able. "Because I can't be with other ponies right now. Not even you. _Go!_"

"What the... c'mon, Mel, wait! You're being nuts here! We can talk this ou–"

The door was closed in her face.

–––

_Week 5  
Saturday_

The next day Binary went to visit Melody, she wasn't there. Another day followed with the same result. After five days of no–shows, even over the weekend, Binary had given up, convinced that she'd blown the only friendship she'd ever had.

School days went slower. The other girls always seemed happier, just to spite her. Even math problems stopped being fun.

She stopped listening to music.

And after a long, excruciating week, here she was, on the morning of the talent show. In less than twelve hours she'd be performing one–half of a duet. _The much less talented half_, her mind told herself. She fully agreed.

She sat on her bed in her room, pity party in full swing, when her mother called from downstairs. She hurried down to see Free Style and an older unicorn couple she'd never seen before.

"Sweetie, this is Sky High and Earth Bound," Free Style said, pointing to the mare and stallion respectively. "They want to talk to you."

"It's about our daughter, Melody," Sky High said.

Binary immediately gasped. "Oh my gosh! Is she okay?"

Earth Bound replied without answering the question. "First, we want to apologize for Melody's behavior and disappearance as of late."

Binary shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I think I pressured her into something she wasn't too sure about. How is she? I haven't seen her since last week and I'm worried. Seriously, is she all right? And do you think she'll be able to join me tonight?"

"Hold on, little one. One question at a time. Though before we answer any of them," Sky High said, "I'm sure you've noticed our daughter is... a little special. And since you and she hit it off so well it might be high time you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" Free Style said, then turned to Binary. "There's nothing _you've_ been keeping from me about Melody, is there?"

Binary shook her head again. "You know as much as I do, Mom."

Free Style turned to the couple. "Perhaps you should explain everything, then."

"Gladly." Sky High's horn glowed, and an image appeared in front of them––a girl's bedroom, filled with stuffed animals and classical concert posters. The sight looked completely normal, except for its centerpiece: a unicorn filly, eyes closed in her bed, barely moving, barely breathing, and certainly not looking as if she were enjoying herself.

Binary's eyes widened. "Is that..."

Earth Bound nodded. "Magical Melody, yes." He sighed. "And that's also where she's been for the last two years."


	4. A Fresh Perspective

At eleven o'clock in the morning, Twilight Sparkle rolled out of bed.

_"Yeowch!"_

Literally.

She groaned as she picked herself up off of the floor and righted herself back onto four legs. With a yawn, she shuffled over to her dresser. Wiping the crust from her eyes, her vision eventually cleared to see exactly what she expected––frizzle from mane to tail, from head to hoof.

As was often her morning routine, she considered staying that way, perhaps even going back to bed. After all, who ever saw her up here besides Princess Celestia and maybe her family–

Wait, no. Things were different now.

Her room being lined with wood wherever she looked attested to that. She _didn't_ spend all of her days in one of two castle towers anymore. This was a library. She had to tend to it. There were other ponies here. Other ponies she both cared for and counted on, and which returned the favor.

This was no longer Canterlot. This was Ponyville.

As her brain continued its reboot, she looked at her desk calendar, already opened to today's date, and marked with twin musical notes. Now why had she done that... _oh,_ _of course!_

Instantly her fatigue left her.

Today was the day.

Twilight darted to the center of her room and closed her eyes. Her horn glowed as she chanted a spell whose words she was now quite familiar with:

_"Nature's glory, on this new day, wash my body's cares away!"_

A circle highlighted below her, surrounding her in a cylinder of blue light. Glitter swirled around her body, making way for moisture, which clung to her and inched upwards, from hooves to tail, soaping and removing every bit of grime in every area imaginable, and disappearing into nothingness. She ignored the tingles––intense as they were, they were always only temporary.

Automatic fluffing and styling of her coat, mane and tail followed––while she was no Rarity in the grooming department, Twilight knew she was more than skilled enough magically to get herself looking decent in the mornings.

The circle faded. By 11:15 the she was perfectly presentable. She mentally kicked herself for not learning this spell before she'd moved to Ponyville. Then again, she hadn't really _needed_ it quite as much before. The castle had its own luxuries, lavish royal baths amongst them.

She returned to the mirror to check herself. Mane checked out, several swishes of her tail, nothing looked or felt strange or grody or out out–of–place. Good to go.

Still.

_New manestyle, maybe? No, why would I... well... _She cycled through various styles, her horn glowing and her mane poofing with each new thought. _Up? Down? Tied? Swishy?_

In the end, however...

_...maybe I'll just go as myself._

She straightened her mane to its usual style, and flashed her best smile, pointing at her reflection.

"All right! Today, Twilight," she told herself, "you go on a field trip!" She giggled to herself before adding, "Look at me. Acting like I'm a schoolfilly again."

Her voice went to a whisper.

"But I'm so excited."

–––  
"Unison: Spectacles and Shades"  
A My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Fanfiction  
Part 4: "A Fresh Perspective"  
by Bookish Delight, 2012–2013  
All characters and referred properties belong to Hasbro.  
–––

She tiptoed past a sleeping Spike, and outside of her library treehouse, ready to face the world.

"Now that I think about it, Vinyl and I probably should have decided on an actual meeting spot," Twilight mused. "So now what do I do?"

The sound of birds singing in chorus wafted towards her ears as she walked.

"Oh! Fluttershy must be holding practice. Well, there's no harm in going to say hello."

–––

"Okay, let's keep it in tempo, everyone... keep the notes steady... good, that's good!"

As usual, the bubbling brook near Fluttershy's forest dwelling only served to accompany her choir of singing birds with its own brand of percussion. The birds themselves were perched along several branches, yet Fluttershy was able to keep track of and conduct all of them with effortless waves of her hooves.

Something was different today, however. Standing beside Fluttershy was the very pony Twilight had been looking for, slowly nodding her head to the music as she looked around at the performance.

"Vinyl?" Twilight said.

"Huh? Twi–" Vinyl's hoof met her forehead the second she saw the other unicorn. "_Oh my gosh!_ I'm so sorry, Twilight! I got massively sidetracked, and we totally didn't decide on an actual place to meet up, did we?"

Twilight chuckled. "It's okay. Same thing sort of happened to me. Don't worry about it."

Vinyl shook her head. "Nuh uh, nothing doing. I'll be making it up to you later, just you watch. In the meantime..." She looked back towards Fluttershy's singing birds. "...gosh, what doesn't your town have? Are these birds all trained?"

"Actually, they all just love Fluttershy enough to do this. She's got a way with creatures."

"Whoa." Vinyl's eyes went wide under her shades, and her mouth widened to match. "Amazing."

The two listened for a while longer, silently allowing Fluttershy to work. Eventually, the song finished, and she, along with all of the birds, bowed slightly. "Great work, everybirdie."

"Excellent!" Vinyl applauded. "Your choir really came alive in the last movement there. And they blend together so well! Well, except for that one guy." She pointed to one bird, doing its best to tune itself but receiving nothing but squwaks for its trouble. "Got just the cure for that, though."

Fluttershy blinked. "You do?"

"Yeah. Did a show in griffon–land once. _Exactly_ once. Anyway. You think _this_ guy's throat's got problems? Those birds blow theirs out all the time." She conjured up a small tablet. "Here we go. This'll fix that right up." She used the tiniest jolt of magic to melt it in her hoof, mixed the substance in a tiny cup of warm water, and levitated the cup out for the bird to fly over and lap up at its leisure. It did so, and after half a minute, it tried singing again, with imperfect, but noticeably better results.

Vinyl smiled up at the bird. "Hey, not bad! I know you want to please your girl here, but you should take it easy." She turned back to Fluttershy. "Keep him on warm water for, oh, a week, I guess? "He should be good as new."

Fluttershy gasped in delight. "Oh, thank you, uh, um... 'Digiphone,' was it? That is how you say it, right? The brochure I was given wasn't very clear. I'm sorry if I messed it up."

Vinyl laughed. "Nah, totally okay. Look, just call me Vinyl. Way easier, right?"

Fluttershy nodded with a smile. "Absolutely! But..." She cocked her head to the side. "...is that your real name?"

"Dunno." She shrugged, smiled, and turned to Twilight. "Ready?"

Twilight nodded. "I am. Take care, Fluttershy!"

"Um... bye!"

The two unicorns walked away, leaving a still mildly–bewildered Fluttershy to wave them off.

–––

"...and over here is Sugarcube Corner, and over there is Cloverleaf Cafe," said Twilight, giving Vinyl the grand tour of the town. "Have you ever been?"

"Not as of yet," Vinyl said. "But ooh, I've heard those names! I've wanted to try 'em. I've heard that second is one of Ponyville's best spots. Sounds like a good place for some brunch to me." The two walked over. "Magic requires energy and all that. This place live up to its rep?"

"Yep. I've had the lunch specials here tons of times."

"Great! Then it's all on me." She looked over to Twilight and raised her shades. "So forget any 'specials' or 'sales' or whatever. Today, order what you've always wanted."

Twilight gasped. "_Seriously?_ Gosh, thanks!"

"No prob," said Vinyl, draping a foreleg around Twilight and giving her a quick squeeze. "Least I can do for ya', believe me." She sauntered over to the cafe. "C'mon, let's go in and gorge ourselves silly."

–––

Hay and flowers as far as the eye could see. Breads and cookies, snacks and desserts. All the super–high quality stuff, imported from the other end of Equestria.

Twilight still couldn't believe it. They'd managed to eat it all. It had been glorious. But now it was gone. It was all they could do now to bask in the food afterglow, and sip waters while they allowed it to digest.

That was when the check came. Vinyl and Twilight looked at it for two seconds. As the latter did her best to avoid fainting, the former conjured up a purse and gave the waiter enough bits to make his and Twilight's eyes bulge.

"Keep the rest," Vinyl said.

"Th–thank you very much," the waiter barely managed to reply.

"Holy..." Twilight gaped as he staggered off. "I've always wanted a bunch of this stuff, but could never afford it." She looked back at Vinyl. "I don't mean to pry, but how–"

Vinyl waved dismissively. "Don't even finish that question. One of the good things about this life is that it gives me the budget to spoil my friends rotten."

"Doesn't that get expensive? I mean, someone as famous as you has got to have a _zillion_ friends, right?"

"Ehhhh..." Vinyl looked at the table. Her carefree expression disappeared and her voice went soft. "...you'd actually be surprised."

Twilight's eyebrows raised. "Hm? Why?"

Vinyl shook her head, her smile reappearing as quickly as it had left. "Ah, nothing important. Besides, today's about _you_, not me. Got a question for ya', girl."

"Shoot."

"Those birds of Fluttershy's." Vinyl looked up towards the trees lining the west side side of the town. "You ever listen to them yourself, Twilight?"

Twilight smiled and nodded. "Sure I do! Quite a bit, actually. You're right––they are wonderful."

"Well, true, but I mean..." Vinyl had her shades up again and was looking straight at Twilight, but her wide–eyed expression was such that Twilight could have sworn she was being looked _through_. "...have you _really_ listened to them? Individually, as well as together."

Twilight responded with a puzzeld stare. "What do you mean?"

"It's how you figure out the difference." Vinyl levitated her water glass close, tipped it to take a drink, then put it back down on the table. "What if I told you that there are dozens, no, _hundreds_, of composers in Equestria who've written great works––famous ones, even?"

Twilight shrugged. "I'd say that's general knowledge."

"Yep. Now, what if I told you that most of them have lived and died, never knowing that despite all the praise and money they might have received for their work... their songs were still incomplete in some way?"

Twilight had no answer for that. Her face communicated as much to Vinyl, whose eyebrows twitched to accompany a chuckle.

The white unicorn closed her eyes and concentrated. Seconds later, an album floated by her side, its cover emblazoned with neon colors. She looked at the title, which read _Midnight Electronica_, and said, "Yeah. This one should groove nicely."

Twilight cocked her head as she read the title for herself. "Groove?"

"Go with. Run alongside. But in total step." Before Twilight knew what to make of those words, Vinyl took off her shades completely. She reached across the table, clasped Twilight's hooves in hers...

...and there was that look straight into endless eyes again. Her voice was muted, but emotional. Energetic. _Passionate._

"Music in itself is a never–ending voyage. Composers steer the ships, but I'm a little different. I ride the waves to scout ahead, then I come back and chart the courses." She paused. "But this'd just be a bunch of babbling if I didn't show you. There any places in this region that are, well, not totally teeming with ponies?"

Twilight nodded. "There's this little spot just outside of Everfree Forest. It's got a lake and everything. I go there when I need to think without anypony bothering me."

"Perfect. Think you could take us there? I–I mean, if it's all right."

"Oh absolutely." Twilight used the moment to return Vinyl's gaze head–on. "Just don't let go, okay?"

"I won't."

Twilight's horn glowed, and in a glitter–filled instant, they disappeared.

–––

It was just as Twilight had described––an open field, surrounded by trees, with a lake in the center.

What Twilight had forgotten, however, was just how peaceful it was. Not a pony to be found. A few birds could be heard tweeting around them, and the grass felt soft under their bodies as they sat.

From Vinyl's expression, she appeared to approve just as much. "Oh, cool! This'll work just great." She looked towards Twilight. "Hope you don't mind––with me, sometimes things get loud."

Twilight smiled. "Don't worry about it."

Vinyl winked. "And then there's the music." She levitated her album, and willed one more into existence beside it, bearing the name _Manic Panic Revolution_. With that, she sat in front of the lake, and Twilight joined her seconds later, prompting the two to look across.

"You did really great for your first time the other night, Twilight. Then again, I guess all of that just falls into your genius girl rep." Ignoring Twilight's blush, she added, "But today we're gonna try something different."

"Different how?"

Vinyl's magic began its work, and one of the records was pulled from its sleeve and spun. After a few seconds she said, "Okay, Twilight. Go ahead and sample this one."

Twilight applied her own magic as well. Crackling electric twangs and beats soon filled her mind, and the landscape became a little more colorful. "What... Vinyl, what's happening? What am I seeing, I–"

"_Don't lose it_, whatever you do! Now I'm going to play the other record. Join me on that one as well, okay?"

_"'As well'?"_ Twilight gaped. "You mean I'm supposed to play _both?_"

"Yeah. But work smarter, not harder. Feel the vibrations like before... but don't think of them as two records! Think of them as one."

"As one, huh? O–okay..." Twilight redoubled her concentration, mentally feeling her way across both albums. The beats clashed. The notes stung. Still, she kept it up until the moment when it all clicked––the moment she heard a third, _true_ set of melodies and rhythms, causing a jolt to rush through her whole body.

"You're gettin' it, Twi," she could just barely hear Vinyl say through the sounds. "So now it's time to _kick it up a notch!_"

Twilight looked to her side, and saw the lights around the records and Vinyl's horn grow larger and brighter.

And in seconds, she understood.

The world even _smelled_ different now. Instead of forest scents, she smelled civilization. Other ponies, everywhere. She could hear them too. Jumping and screaming, whooping in ecstasy.

"Gettin' there, lookin' good... and now for the most important part," Twilight heard, just before she felt a gentle massage of her shoulders from behind. She jumped momentarily, but a soothing, guiding voice in her ear spoke through the music, as if prepared for this from the very start.

"Relax yourself, Twi. I can feel you overthinking from here. It's okay, I used to, too. But eventually it stops being about notes and rhythms and formulas. When you feel your senses being taken over... that's when you let yourself go."

"Let myself go..." Twilight closed her eyes, sighed, and relaxed her back against Vinyl's front.

"Mm–hmm. Perfection through combination, Twilight," said Vinyl, embracing the violet unicorn as the world changed around the both of them. "Some ships were just meant to sail together."

–––

When Twilight came to, she almost lost it again right then and there.

Colorful lights assaulted her eyes. Jubilation slammed against her ears. She looked around, and found herself in the middle of a gigantic paved street with dozens of other ponies who were dancing like crazy, lost in their own diversions.

Determined to make sense of the situation, she levitated above the others to get a better view. Immediately upon seeing a stage in the distance, she heard a voice call out over the loudspeakers set around the venue––a venue surrounded by tall buildings and flashing billboards everywhere she looked:

_"Yo! Equine Square! You ready to lose yourself to the groove?"_

The gathered ponies roared in response.

"That's what I like to hear!" Vinyl, atop a podium onstage, handled records on a turntable backed by two enormous speakers. "DJ Professor V's here to hit you with the notes and the beats, to send you on a trip you'll wanna repeat! 'Cause that's what you get when you ask for the _best!_" She looked out across the crowd, and her next words were spoken in a calm, controlled voice. "Though, speaking of the best, I see we've got somepony special in the audience. See that purple unicorn in the center of you all? I want her up _here._ Help me out, will you, guys?"

"Huh? _W–whoa!_" After another roar from the crowd, Twilight found herself being magically levitated, then pegasus–airlifted over all present, until she reached the front, upon which she was dropped onto some helpful earth ponies who tossed her onto the stage.

The whole while, the music continued.

For the majority of Twilight's transport time, Vinyl appeared lost in her work. As the light of Twilight's aura approached, however, she looked back up. Her work shades were on again––something that, in this light, Twilight could absolutely understand. Her smile upon seeing Twilight became just as bright––something Twilight had even less of a problem with.

"All right! You made it! You actually _made it!_" With a tiny squeal, Vinyl rushed over and hugged Twilight the second the latter touched down on the podium, hooves shaking as they felt the vibrations of the wooden floor. "I'm so happy you're here." She called out to the audience again by way of the standing microphone close by. "Mares, stallions, party ponies! There are two folks in my life who I owe my current livelihood to, and you're looking at one of 'em right now! Put your hooves together for _Twilight Sparkle!"_

Twilight blushed under the subsequent cheers, but hugged Vinyl back. "Glad I made it here, too. That said, where _is_ here?"

"Heh heh. Well, I guess I can come clean." Vinyl gestured around them with one hoof. "Welcome to my zone, Twilight. When you see me playing a gig? Unless it's a real _knockout,_ my body might be there, but my mind's usually here. This party in Manehattan was one of my first––and still my best. The party that put me on the map as a DJ."

"I can see why."

"Yeah. I... like to relive it." She sent a jolt of magic to the microphone, switching it off temporarily. "It was here that I realized I wanted to keep going this route in life. I can be as wild and crazy as I want. I can be _myself_. And so long as I keep the music going, nopony minds. So now, whenever I need a pick–me–up, this show is mine to play whenever I want." Vinyl glanced down, tints of red easily showing across her white face. "But like I said a couple of days ago, this is the first time in a long time I've been able to be myself around somepony else _without_ use of a stage. So thanks, girl."

Twilight nudged Vinyl's face level with one hoof. "Let's get one thing straight. I'm not providing a charity here. I'm here because I _want_ to be. Because you're _fascinating_––and I don't mean your music _or_ your magic. Just as a person. So there's nothing to thank me for. Okay?"

A silent deepening of Vinyl's blush was her only reply, which quickly disappeared as she visibly willed herself back into her DJ persona. Switching the microphone back on, she walked to the center of the stage, and addressed the gathered ponies, and gave a boisterous shout of, "You guys ready for more?"

The audience cheered, and Twilight watched Vinyl bask in the attention. She was in the midst of wondering if Vinyl had been expecting it, when a string of words echoed in Twilight's mind, unbidden, in Vinyl's voice.

_So many ponies... all my friends. I never thought it'd happen, but here we are. And I refuse to forget it._

As the cheers persisted, Twilight looked back out at the crowd, trying to see where it ended, and failed. She looked back at Vinyl, who had a faraway look on her face Twilight had come to know well, even with her shades on. Sensing the moment, she walked over and placed a foreleg reassuringly over her. "Hey. You all right?"

"H–huh?" Vinyl visibly snapped out of her trance. "Oh, whoa, I'm so sorry! Look at me. I'm supposed to be the hostess, and here I am failing hardcore."

Twilight quickly shook her head. "No, no, it's fine! Think nothing of it. But you've got a show to run, right?"

Vinyl sighed in relief. "That's what I love about you, Twilight. Well, one of the things. You don't worry too much. Now that you're here, though, I planned for tonight's concert to go just a little differently from usual."

Twilight blinked towards Equine Square, looking at as many individual ponies as she could. At first glance they _seemed_ to be dancing erratically, but upon closer inspection, she could see that they moved perfectly in time, and in _tune_, to the music which blared against her ears. The record had changed some minutes ago––now instead of pulses which were like magitechnology put to sound, they were rapid–fire twangs of more familiar and traditional guitars. "Differently? How?"

Vinyl disappeared from the stage, and reappeared above her audience, slowly lowering herself onto the ground as the crowd parted to give her a wide circle all to herself.

"A new act, of course!" And with a blink of the musical unicorn's eyes, Twilight was transported in the midst of the same circle Vinyl occupied. "You dance, Sparkle?'

Twilight was taken aback, as she realized she was utterly surrounded once more. "Wha... _d–dance?_" she stammered. "W–well, I..." Her voice shook, and she barely resisted shivering as she looked amongst the overwhelming pony crowd. "O–o–only around friends. Sometimes. And when nopony but them are looking."

"Fair enough. Well then..." Vinyl pushed her shades up to give Twilight a clear view of her eyes for the first time since the party had started. "...would you consider _me_ a friend?"

For an instant, as Twilight looked back into Vinyl's eyes, none of the other ponies might as well have existed. She answered with a quiet nod.

Vinyl's smile was as big as a house. "Great! Feeling's mutual. This is my world we're in, and the last thing anypony cares about here is how much of a nerd they really are." She laughed and winked. "'Cause let's face it: if they did, I couldn't be here either."

Twilight nodded again, then gasped as Vinyl took her hoof. She wanted to wonder what Vinyl meant by that, but the sheer volume, not just of the music but _everything around her_, stopped her whenever she tried to think too deeply about anything.

As if sensing her thoughts, the DJ continued. "There's only one rule here, Twilight: _don't care what anypony thinks._ Seriously. It just wastes energy better spent making sure _you're_ happy." Vinyl let go. "C'mon. Let's see what moves you've got."

Twilight hesitated. "You really sure you want to?"

"More than anything!" She laughed. "Don't make me beg? I mean, I will if I gotta. But."

Twilight laughed back, her mood lightening. "W–well, all right, then."

She shuffled her hooves, moving and swaying to the music, and for a short while, all was fine. Then her mind finally managed to overcome the music. Memories of her few public ventures in school rushed to the surface.

She'd tried this before. Ponies all around her, just like this. There had _been_ laughter. There had _been_ fun. But it had all been at her expense.

She looked at the crowd, which were all smiles. Were they smiling with her, or silently laughing at her? She had no way of knowing. Twilight Sparkle _hated_ not knowing, ever. Her enthusiasm ebbed, her movements slowed, and she gave a helpless look to Vinyl...

...who she then saw was mirroring her own moves exactly. She also looked genuinely entertained by the activity. Her eyes were on Twilight, her head was swaying, her trademark toothy smile was still there.

She looked around, and noticed something else: through smiles and all, nopony else was actually staring _at_ them. Everypony else was involved in their own unique styles of movement, some of which were positively outlandish in ways that _Twilight_, for all her lack of technique, had to suppress laughter upon witnessing.

It was just as Vinyl had said: no one else was caring what anypony thought. There was only enjoyment. Enjoyment for themselves, but all in combination, to create one, glorious, gigantic celebration.

Upon realizing this, Twilight made a decision.

She jumped to two hooves, and cut loose.

In the back of her mind, in her heart of hearts, she was sure she looked absolutely _dreadful_ as she hopped and twirled about on the dance floor, with hardly any sense of direction or reasoning. After a while, she wondered why she hadn't bumped into anyone, and looked around herself between moments to discover Vinyl gesturing for other ponies to clear an even larger space for the two of them. Even then, the majority of those other ponies didn't care, and the few who did showed this by... cheering the two of them on?

This was unexpected. This was illogical. This was... this was _perfect_.

It was what she'd always wanted.

The music continued, and Twilight's dancing became all the more energetic and coordinated. Even while dancing with just her hind legs, her hooves moved along the floor in precise, twisting paths, until her back was against Vinyl's, who had still been mirroring her movements, keeping up with every step.

The music intensified, and the two faced each other, smiling, laughing, dancing past each other and back again. At one point, Vinyl magically tossed Twilight into the sky to cheers, and she could confirm that the crowd truly did stretch on forever. She landed gently into Vinyl's outstretched forelegs, the two once more sharing a gazing moment before Vinyl let her free.

The second she was let back onto her own hooves, Twilight returned the gesture, and was rewarded with the happiest expression she'd ever seen on the young unicorn since they'd met.

The music increased in tempo during its final segments, with both unicorns giving it their all in kind, and the crowd's cheers having elevated to outright hollers. Amidst the swishing of her mane and gyrating of her hips, Twilight's hooves and vision were both a blur until the final cymbal crash––where, at that moment, she jumped as high as she could under her own power, allowing herself to energetically collapse in mid–air.

The possibility of not being caught never crossed her mind––and as it turned out, it had no reason to. She felt a soft, warm, cushioned landing, just as she blissfully closed her eyes.

–––

When Twilight opened her eyes, the party was over.

She was back in the forest, lying face down. She looked in front of herself, and saw Vinyl smiling below her. Where ponies had once surrounded them, there was once more green grass instead. The sun was almost gone, the stretches of dusk lay out before them, and the first stars stole an early appearance in the sky.

Twilight gasped for breath. "Y–... you..."

Vinyl winked. "Yeah, I... had to catch you." Her voice was also breathy, warm against Twilight's cheek. "Looks like somepony's got a wild side they're not telling anyone about."

"N–_no,_ I..." Laughing in blushing embarrassment made it all the harder for Twilight to catch her breath. "I–I'm not–"

Vinyl placed a hoof to Twilight's muzzle. "Don't even try it, girl. You tore up that dance floor like nopony else. Bet you thought you didn't have it in you, either."

"I, well, no, I..." Twilight's labored gasps turned to happy ones. "I just never knew music could be so... s–so..."

"Exciting?"

"That's _one_ word for it. Another would be 'liberating', I guess. I've never lost myself _in_ myself like that before, much less been so _all right_ with it."

"And _that's_ what happens when you combine music theory and mathematics. Well, more so than normal, anyway. It's all about making your rhythms and melodies sync up perfectly... and then losing yourself in the results, 'cause after that, you don't gotta worry."

Vinyl levitated Twilight just enough to move out from under her. Both stood up, with Vinyl sidling close. "And if you can find somepony to sync _with_, so much the better, it seems."

"I–I'll remember that," said Twilight, leaning back against her. "Thanks, Vinyl. I've learned quite a lot today. More than I expected."

"You know what?" The two looked out towards the sunset. "I think I have too."

–––

"Twilight! There you are!" Spike rushed towards Twilight as she and Vinyl returned to Golden Oaks. "Pinkie's been waiting for you."

"Huh?" Twilight looked over to see a pink earth pony give a tiny wave. "Oh, hi. What's up?"

"Twilight!" Pinkie was in her face in record time. "I think we might have a problem!"

Twilight thought about it for a second, then answered with, "Rarity again?"

"I wanted to go to her shop to test–drive some new dessert–themed hairstyles. But she's holed herself in! I've tried everything, from singing to dancing to trying to have Gummy undergo tactical espionage action and unlock her door from the inside and she still just won't come out!" She paused. "Gummy's safe. Rarity screamed the second she saw him and tossed him back out the window."

"You don't say." Twilight rolled her eyes, then froze as she realized. "Wait. You mean to tell me she's been in Carousel Boutique _all day?_"

"Yeah! And it's been closed all day, too!"

"I..." Twilight sighed. "I don't know. It's largely our fault she's like this, and I don't know what to do about it. I'm not sure if it's right to just barge in on her."

"_Don't say that!_" Pinkie clutched Twilight's shoulders. "You're the one who always has the plans! _I planned on this!_ If you don't have a plan to plan us out of this then I can't go ahead with _my_ plans to–" Pinkie went taut upon finally sensing the fourth party in the room. She turned to look, and, upon seeing who it was, her eyes and mouth went wide in jubilation.

"Uh..." Vinyl took a step back and blinked. "...hey there?"

_"Oh my goooooooooooosh! IT'S DJ PON–3!"_ Pinkie squealed. "Like, right here! In front of me!"

And then it was Vinyl's turn to freeze. "Well, I'll be d––somepony really _can_ pronounce it. Where were you last month? I had a press conference that went really badly." She shook her head. "Oh well. I'm probably going to drop it, so it's a moot po–"

"What? _No way!_ Are you kidding? I _love_ that name!"

Vinyl blinked again, visibly thrown for a loop. "Okay. While we're on the subject of names, what's yours?"

The pink pony bounced in place. "I'm Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's premiere party planning pony!"

"_You're_ the one Twilight mentioned the other day." The two hugged. "Nice to meet you."

"And it's sooooooo absolutely nice to meet _you_," Pinkie said, handing Vinyl a white balloon with sunglasses drawn on it in magic marker.

Vinyl stared at it. "Did... did you just make this in the space of half a second?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Maybe? I dunno. I do things. You like it?"

"I..." Vinyl had few words to reply with. "Yeah, I do, actually. Thanks."

"No problem! Oh, and don't worry about your name, either! I'm going to reveal the secret of pronouncing it to everypony! It'll totally stick once I'm done! You'll never know what you did without it!"

Vinyl groaned. "I'm doomed, aren't I?"

Twilight giggled. "Better announce that new name fast."

"Yeah, looks like." She watched Pinkie herd Spike over to help her look for books on baking before adding, "Hey, so, about today..."

"Oh, right!" Twilight perked up. "I really enjoyed today's, um, magic lesson."

"You _did?_ I mean, uh, me too." Vinyl paused. "Wait, you really did?"

Twilight nodded with a smile. "Magic studies usually involve stacks and stacks of books. And while I love books, I'm also a fan of trying new things. Today definitely counts as that. So thanks so much. "

"You're totally welcome! I–If you want another session..." A card was manifested out of thin air and floated towards Twilight. "...here's where I'm staying for the next few days. You wanna stop by, my doors are always open for ya'. See you when I do." Her shades went back on, and she called out. "Pinkie Pie, huh? Just what kind of parties do you plan?"

"Oh, all sorts!" said Pinkie as she came back over, and she and Vinyl made their exit. "Birthdays to weddings to cruises to get–togethers to dances to pageants to..."

–––

"Twilight?"

Twilight Sparkle looked up upon hearing her name. The voice was familiar, and the only one she would expect around this hour––a quick glance at the clock said midnight. Still, she decided to verify. "Another late–night craving, Spike? You'll get fat."

"And you'll go blind." Spike walked down the steps towards Twilight, who was reading by way of several candles and a light from her horn. "More late–night studying?"

"Mmmmm, not quite." Twilight raised her head and looked at him. "But actually, I'm glad you're here! I'll need you in just a bit."

Spike wandered over to a wall safe. "You've got until I finish my midnight snack."

"Please, Spike?" said Twilight as the dragon entered the combination. Several small clicks were heard, until the safe door opened with a final, louder click. "This is actually really important."

Spike gave a mock dramatic sigh. "Oh, all right. I'll make it a big jewel and take small bites." He grabbed a large emerald and walked back to his comrade. "What're you reading, anyway?"

"My old alumni yearbook."

Spike craned his head to look at the cover. _"The Canterlot School For Gifted Unicorns_? Thought you didn't try to think about those years too much." He sat in front of Twilight, who draped her forelegs around him.

"I don't. But I'm looking for somepony. Vinyl Scratch told me she graduated from here, but I don't see her name or picture anywhere." She flipped through several pages, then stopped. "Sure see mine, though. Ugh. I looked _terrible._"

"Awww, I thought you were cute."

Twilight scoffed. "You were one dragon's year old. You thought the upholstery looked cute. Also, edible."

"Heh heh. True." Spike thought for some moments. "Are there any ponies who _kind of_ look like her? You know. Almost all white..."

"Not a bad place to start, I agree. Let me look." She sifted through more pages. "Gosh, this'd be easier if these showed cutie marks. Nothing but head shots here."

"Hang on! What about this unicorn here?" Spike pointed to a picture. "Blue mane, white coat––but wow, other than those, she looks nothing like her."

"No kidding," Twilight said. "Seriously, the others here at least _combed_ their manes. And check out the size of those glasses!"

Spike did his best to hold in his laughter and failed. "Guess I was off, huh?"

"Don't feel bad, I...wait." Twilight's mouth widened in realization. "Wait a minute! Vinyl's a total math geek! And the header at the top of this page _says_ 'Department of Mathematics'!"

"Vinyl? A math nerd?" Spike did a double–take. "Are we talking about the same DJ pony here?"

Twilight ignored him, looking at the name under the picture. "'Binary Match'... why does that name sound so famili–"

Instantly, voices flashed in her mind––voices she'd long forgotten.

_"I'm so sorry, Binary. I didn't know."_  
_"Nopony did. It's not your fault. It's not even Princess Celestia's fault. It's mine." _  
_"No it's _not–_"_  
_"_Yes it is!_ You know, I once thought that by mixing math with magic, you could do anything! But it looks like I was wrong. Some problems, you just _can't_ solve."_

"Because I was _there_!" Twilight said, sitting up. "Spike, take a letter, quick!"

"Huh? To who?"

"Princess Celestia, of course. Who else?"

"At this hour?"

"She'll be up. She's still doing her best to mend her relationship with her sister, so this is actually one of the best times I can reach her."

"Huh. Makes sense." Spike fetched a quill and scroll. "Fire away."

Twilight cleared her throat. "'Dear Princess Celestia, my studies of advanced unicorn magic and of the magic of friendship have come to a compelling intersection.'"

Spike's writing slowed as he clearly showed signs of having trouble. "Um... com.. pail..."

"Grrr... _c–o–m–p–e–l–l–i–n–g–i–n–t–e–r–s–e–c–t–i–o–n!"_ Twilight half–yelled, a frantic edge lacing her voice.

Spike froze. "_Okay_, I get it. This is important to you. Sheesh."

Twilight caught her breath. "It is. Sorry, though."

"S'okay." Spike wrote down the letters.

"Thanks. Anyway. 'I hereby request access to Canterlot school records for two mares by the names of Binary Match and Magical Melody. Nothing privacy invading, I just want to check some facts. Thank you. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.'"

"Got it!" Spike rolled up the scroll and breathed green fire onto it, causing to disappear. Ten minutes later, he let out a huge fiery belch. "Ugh. Maybe I should switch to sapphires."

"No, Spike," she said, pointing to the stack of folder–separated papers his belch had yielded. "It's the materials I asked for. Princess Celestia found them!"

"Whew, thank goodness. Emeralds have way too much flavor for me to give up."

A letter rested atop the papers.

–––

_My Cherished Student Twilight Sparkle,_

_I suppose you're now old enough to handle information such as what you've requested. However, please keep in mind: some things are harder than others, for either unicorn's or friendship's magic, to overcome._

_I trust you will use these materials to make the right decisions._

_Yours Truly,_  
_Princess Celestia_

–––

Twilight looked inside one folder. "These are school records for Binary Match––as well as a full picture. Look, Spike, it _is_ her! Her cutie mark's the same and everything!"

"I don't understand any of this stuff, though," said Spike, looking through another folder. "It's just a bunch of weird words I've never heard before."

"Oh, that? That must be Magical Melody's file." She looked inside. "Hmm. All we've got is a filly's picture." She continued to leaf through. "Special talent, prodigy in song and music, life–altering affli–" Twilight froze. "Spike, these aren't school records."

Spike scratched his head. "They're not?"

Twilight looked somberly at the papers in front of her. "No. They're medical records."


End file.
